Search

Injuries Land Pair Betts, Kershaw on Disabled List

It had been quite the start to the season for the Boston Red Sox’ Mookie Betts. Unfortunately, that start has now been interrupted due to injury. The leading hitter in all of Major League Baseball this season, with a .359 average, is now set for a stint on the disabled list after picking up an abdominal injury. After missing his fifth straight game in a row, the team took the opportunity (if you can call it that) to put him on the ten day disabled list. This is a blow to both the player and the team.

Betts’ average has been nothing such of awe-inspiring, but it hasn’t been all about hitting for average and contact for him. The right fielder has hit 17 home runs, right in the race for the most in the American League, has 37 RBI, and has scored a league-high 52 runs. On top of all of that, he has swiped 13 bases. This was, and still is, one of the best seasons you could possibly ask for. The Red Sox will be hoping that this is just a minor blip on the radar for them.

nbcsports.com

They are embroiled in a close race with the New York Yankees for first place in the AL East, and they will be hoping Betts’ absence will not hinder their ability to compete for the division crown. In other, slightly related news, the Los Angeles Dodgers’ Clayton Kershaw is also headed back to the DL. One of the most dominant regular season pitchers in the history of the game had only just returned from a biceps injury, but he was involved in the action for only a day before going back on it.

It is now thought, at least by initial looks, that he will be out of the lineup for the next month or so for the Dodgers due to a recurrence of a back injury that kept him out for some time last season as well. His outing did not do much to convince that he was healthy, seeing him fail to hit 90 MPH with a large amount of pitches, something that has not typically been common for him. With him out, the Dodgers might just struggle to make up ground, though they are still in the race in the NL West due to a mediocre group of clubs.